The field of the invention pertains to the positioning of one or several vehicles in a garage.
Typically, a vehicle is driven into the garage and the driver makes an estimate of the distance remaining between the front of the vehicle and the back wall of the garage. If the driver improperly estimates the distance, the vehicle can hit the wall, causing damage to the wall and to the vehicle itself. Most known distance estimating devices either hang from the ceiling of the garage or are permanently attached to the garage floor near the front of the vehicle. Those devices that are permanently attached to the garage floor block access to the floor and to the area in front of the vehicle. Some devices are flexible to allow the vehicle a range of area for positioning. No provision has been made for a floor or low mounted device that actually stops the forward movement of the vehicle to positively position the vehicle and yet be readily removable from the floor as needed. No provision has been made to make such a device that pivots from the floor into an upright compact storage position against the wall.
Although the need for a device to positively position a vehicle existed, I am unaware of such a device. Thus the need for a device to positively position a vehicle, which is easily pivoted into a storage position allowing complete access to the garage floor.
Examples of known prior art are shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,625,313 to Lowrie for a chocking device; 5,231,392 to Gust for a portable vehicle parking assistance device; 5,040,032 to Theising for a hitch alignment means; 4,433,636 to Crouch for a dual warning parking aid; 3,219,972 to Williams for an automobile parking position indicator; 2,731,934 to Hausmann et al for a parking guide; and 1,981,188 to Pavitt for a vehicle position indicator.
The Lowrie patent discloses devices that swing down from the underside of a vehicle to engage the tire in front and in back. The Gust patent shows a portable device that rests on the floor and away from the wall. The device uses a motion sensor and indicator with audible and visible signals. The Theising patent teaches a wheel stop for aligning a hitch coupling of a trailer. The device is positioned on the ground while the trailer is still attached to the vehicle. When the trailer is to be re-hitched to the vehicle, the vehicle engages the device for proper alignment.
The Crouch patent shows a device that initially has the hood of the car contacting a ball and then, the bumper contacting a flexible vertical part of the device. The Williams patent shows a wall mounted device with an indicator arm that is deflected by a vehicle, triggering an indicator light. The Hausmann et. al. patent discloses a wall mounted pivot point. An indicating arm is operated by car deflection of an actuating arm. The Pavitt patent shows a device that is either floor mounted or hangs down from the wall for deflection by a vehicle. Although these patents indicate the location of the vehicle, they do not block the motion of the vehicle in the desired location while yet being easily movable to a stored position.